1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Drag & Drop, and, more particularly, to enabling and extending a Functionality of a Drag & Drop Procedure, the application of which being particularly applicable to a Framework.
2. Related Information
In Commercial Software Applications, it is often the case that Functions need to be incorporated into new applications. In the past, this was accomplished by creating the code from scratch and connecting it to the Commercial Application. As Systems expanded, so did the need for programming code. In a short time, the amount of programming required to support a System was obviously too burdensome. Programmers often found themselves writing the same, or similar, code for different applications, literally recreating the wheel each time.
Object Code Programming was supposed to resolve the problem of rewriting code by providing reusable Objects. However, reusing objects still requires a certain amount of programming. For one thing, the Object needs to be imported and associated to the new application. For another, the Object invariably requires modifications to be compatible with new applications. In some respects, the programming required to incorporate new Objects poses as many challenges as writing the code from scratch. Interface and protocol issues have caused the creation of a whole new generation of programmers, called Network Analysts. As a result, the overall number of System Personnel for Systems has exploded in recent years.
Moreover, User's today of Commercial Software are accustomed to interfacing to Systems using a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Indeed, Systems today are almost entirely based around the GUI. It is a step backwards to require User's to leave the GUI environment and reprogram the Function manually.
This is particularly true in Industrial Applications, where a failure could result in the shut off of an entire Factory, such networks require almost constant supervision. With literally myriads of Systems connected to an Industrial Network, in order to meet the challenge of such a daunting task, User's are equipped with specialized Industrial Network GUIs, such as the Human Machine Interface (HMI). Even with all that technology support, User's are still required to make manual programming adjustments to their applications to incorporate new Functions.
What is needed, therefore, is a Method, System and Apparatus for enabling a User to simply and efficiently incorporate Functionality from one application to another, particularly in an Industrial Network.